Card index cabinet



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 c. F. WOLTERS CARDv INDEX CABINET Filed May' 2o, 1945 ,lwwwmwvvwwwmwwwwwwwwwdw 'July 15, 1947.

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July 15, 1947.-

C. F. WOLTERS CARD INDEX CABINET Filed Maly 2o, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July'ls', 1947 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT yor:fiere:

'Car1F. Wolters Kenmore, lY., assigner to Bennington Rand' Inc., Buialo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Applieation May zo, 194s, 'semina 487,144

, '3^ claim-e. (c1. tsaar 1. This. invention relatesVV to improvements. in the construction of cabinets for visible card indexes.

This invention comprehendsl the provision of a cabinet for visible card indexes constructed of wood or equivalent materialfor eliminatingA the use of metal. e

This` invention comprehends the construction of a Wood cabinetv for visible card indexes ofa character wherein the cabinet` is provided with suitable guideways on the. inside and partitions dividing the cabinet intoaf-plurality of compartments are constructed and arranged in a manner that the cabinet may beconstructed atV lowv cost while theA guide and partition stuctureswill cooperate to provide substantial strength in the cabinet structure `for eiciently mounting a plurality of card index trays forr slidable movement into and out of the. compartments in the cabinet. Side members on eachl tr'ay are arranged to, be guided in the guideways at the sidesV of the cabinetby guide strips in order that loads on the tray will be distributeddirectly to--they side walls of the cabinet through .the side. members thereby providing. for the. use of relatively thin wood. partition members in the cabinet aswellasthi-n tray bottoms. Yet, the structureof the trays in. the cabinet is such by this arrangement Vof guide strips and guide members onA the cabinet and trays respectively, that an efcient structure which is strong. and vvill withstand hardl usage atleastequal to.y that of. metalv cabinets for housingsimilar records is provided. Y e

,The invention. includes the. provisionof a wood tailepiece on the rear end. of each tray for slidable engagement in the'guidevvays at opposite. sides of the cabinet formed by the cooperation of the retaining strips andthe partitions. Means on the rear end portion of the tail-piece adapted to normally engage and cooperate with complementary parts.. on the forward ends of the. guide strips to normally retain. each` tray in engaged relation against complete detachment trom the cabinet. when withdrawn from its compartment. The tail-piece isconstructed with a beveled rear edge portion to provide, for tilting in a manner thatthe retaining means. thereon can be disengaged from the complementary parts on theguide strips when it is desired to completely disengage a tray from. the cabinet.

The invention provides. a Wooden tray structure for holding. visible card indexes having the side members provide the. main support. with. the rear ends arranged toA receive a back` member or stop in interlocked Vand transversely extending relation so that a wood tail-piecefmay behingedly ill) connected tothe rearfen'd ofi. the tray by attach-y ment, to the backr stop and theV rear ends of the sfdememb'ers The ir Yvention 'comprehendstheprovision of a front member connecting; the iront ends o fj the side members vof each card indexV tray arranged to provide. av handle and'labellholder for convenient gripping to *'lpperatey the trayfyin slidable movement into andeut of the.,xcabirvnat.rv A wooden bottom stop larranged adjacent the iront meme ber. in the tray f or slidable. movement along the bottom of*the/trayl in lret aining.4aeplurality iof oiset. overlapped cardholdersin position vin the traywithnthe bottom. sop retained in engaged r'elationwith the tray bi/ a pairof-l opposite/ly projectedinoodenslifde members having theoilter ends provided' for interlocking engagement with the. side members of' the trayn The bottom stop hasI the slide.membe1fs slidablyzmounted therein in coaxial relation in-a transversely extending cha'xinel and. retained and limited in their sliding movement by means of a. resilient memberseated in a recess, in said. bottom stop inl which the outware' resi1feritprojeetieri ef meende meesters is limited' .by the vvall portionsof the bottom.' stop at the sides. of the recess receiving-,the resilient member. .SuitabIemeans is. provided for lconveniently and maniially gripping thelslide members in order toretra'ct them from. engagement with the side 'members` off the tray in removing the'` bottom. stop from .thema mammina: 1 n y, .f e

lifi'g.Y 1 isa frag'm'ntaryside elevationot a cabinet constructed. in accordance vvith4 the invention having portions at the top and'bottom of the cabinet; broken away andshown in` cross section to illustrateY detailsV ofVV constructiom the uppermost tray inthe. cabinetfbeing shown in withdrawn position yfrom itsV compartment and the lower-most4 tray being.. shown in .partly withdrawn position.. Y e

Fig. 2. isa. horizontal cros'ssection taken on line z-p-z ofgnig.. 1. A A f l Fig... 3 isafront, elevationof' the. upper front end. ofthe. cabinet illustrating the front end of one tray in its. housed positionin the cabinet.

Fig.. Lis anenlargedfragmentary vertical cross section illustrating details, ofv construction. of the cabinet andA showing. the tail-pieces of three-diff-k ferent trays in4 di'e'rent positions relative. tothe stop. means at the front. ofthe. cabinetr to show how the tail-piece andthe stop means cooperate to preventcomplete detachment of a tray from the cabinet, and also; hovv atray may be detached from. engagement with-- the cabinet.

Fig. is a detail fragmentary cross section of one upper corner of the cabinet taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 illustrating details of construction.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail cross section showing details of the cabinet corner construction at the lower front corner thereof, taken substantially on lined-6 of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 7 is a bottom rplain-view of the -bottomfstop illustrating the slide members manually operated into the retracted position for removal of the bottom stop from a tray.

Fig. 8 is a detailed cross section through one side of the tray taken substantially on line 8--8 of Fig. 2.

The cabinet is formed of a casing having atop wall I, side walls 2, rear wall 3 and a front facing structure indicated at 4, These side, top and rear walls are formed of wood boards or sheets, plywood having been found to be a very desirable material. These members are suitably assembled together to form a rigid casing structure by joints at `the edges. Glue or'other suitable cement may be used in uniting these members into rigid relation to form the casing. Y l

Side walls 2 have the inner faces thereof formed to provide a plurality of spaced parallel grooves 5 opening through the inner faces and terminating at a distance from the front ends Aof the side walls as indicated at 6 in Fig. 4.A 'Ihe interior of the cabinet is divided into a plurality of tray compartments by transversely extending thin .plywood partitions 1 having the side margins extending into groove 5 as shown in Fig. 5. A plurality of wood guide strips 8 are mounted against the inner faces of side walls 2 with the upper edges I engaged with the lower faces of partitions "I. These guide strips 8 have longitudinally extending ribs 9 projecting laterally therefrom into grooves 5 for cooperation'to retain guide strips B rigidly in position onl side walls2 and also toY retain partitions "I engaged in groove 5. A suitholders may be slidably attached in the tray in a well-known manner.

A back member or back stop I6 extends across the rear end of the tray and has dovetailed connections at I'I with the rear ends of side members I2. The lower portion of back stop I6 has therear ,edge of tray bottom `I4 suitably secured thereto'vby glue or the. like, as shown in Fig, 4. Back stop I6 has a forwardly projecting flange I8 at the upper edge thereof cooperating to provide' a back stop for the card holders at the rear end of a series mounted in the tray including a top cover member so they are held in the groove formedbetween projection I8 and tray bottom I4,

able glue or cement may be used for uniting the edges of the partitions together'with: guide strips 8 including integral ribs 9 thereon to side walls 2 to form a rigidstructure. I

Guide stripsh terminate at the lower edges in spaced relation above the upper face of the next partition below and cooperate to provide'guide channels at opposite sides of the cabinet in each compartment. Stop pins 'IU are secured in the front ends on each guide strip 8 as shown in Figs. 1,V 3 and 4 in inwardly extending relation from a point intermediate the upper and lower edges of the inner lsides for a, purpose that will be hereinafter described.

A connecting member `I I joins the front edges ofV side walls 2 at the bottom of thecabinet as shown in Figs 1 and 6. Member I I also provides a support for the front edgeof the bottom partition 'I in the cabinet in the manner disclosed in Fig. 41.

A plurality of trays are provided, one to slidably engage in each compartment in the casing. Each tray is formed of a pair of side members I2 arranged in spaced parallel relation and having a rabbeted lower edge portion indicated at I3 in Fig. 8 for receiving the marginal'portion of tray fbottom I4, formed of thin wood veneer or other suitable sheet material. Tray bottom I4 is suitably glued to side members I2. vlhe'lower inner edges of sidejnenflbersk I2 are also recessed at I5 longitudinally throughout their length to provide a groove in cooperation with tray bottom I4. The groovesA of the side members face inwardly for receiving opposite ends of lugs on the ends of conventional card holders so that thefard.

as kshown in Fig. 4. The rear edge of back stop I6 is formed with a pair of rearwardly extending projections I9 forming hinge members in cooperation .with the rear ends of side members I2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. These hinge members are complementary to hinge members on the front vedge of a, tail-piece 20 formed of a block of wood.; VThe hinge members of tail-piece 20 are pivotally connected to the rear end of the tray by a wooden pivot pin 2I interengaging in the hinge portions on tail-piece 20, back-stop I6 and the rear ends of side members I2. Tail-piece 2Q' is formed of a suitable wooden Iblock orrstrip having the side edges slida'bly engaged in the guideways formed by guide strips 8,V the thickness of tail-piece 29 being such that it substantially lls the space between a guide strip 8 and the partition below.

The tail-piece is freely slidable in the guide channels forwardly and rearwardly without binding, but is otherwise held against movement. The rear lower face of tail-piece 20 is formed with an inclined or beveled rear end or face 22 as shown in Fig.r 4. `Stop members 23 in the form of metallic hooks are mounted on the upper face at the rear edge of tail-piece 2l) and at opposite sides thereof adjacent the inner faces of guide strips 8. Hooks 23 extend above the guideways formed by guide strips 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and are normally positioned in line with inwardly extending'stop pins I0.

EachV tray has a front member 24 formed of a transversely extending bar of wood having a largercross-section than side members I2. Front member 24 extends transversely across the front end of the tray'and has an interlocking joint connection'at opposite ends with the front ends of side members I2. The lower rear edge of irontmember 24 is rabbetted at 25, see Fig. 4, for receiving the front ledge of tray bottom I4 suitably cemented Vor lotherwise secured thereto.

The front edge of front member 24 is formed Iwith a downwardly facing front portion 26 and an upwardly facing iront portion 2'I providing a pair of front angle faces projecting outwardly and forming the front of the tray. 'I'he lower face 26 is formed with a recess 28 extending transversely across the front of the tray and longitudinally-of member 24 to form said member into a hand grip or handle by which the tray may be operated. 'Ihe upwardly facing portion 2l of front member 24 supports a label holder 29 for receiving an index label identifying the contents of the tray. L

The upper rear portion of front member 24 is formed with an inclined face extending downwardly and rearwardly as indicated at 3i?, to provide an inclined support for the lower free edges of card holders in the tray as illustrated in Fig. 4, and in continuation o-f the support p-rovided by a bottom stop 32.

Bottom stop; v3,2r is inthe form. or a. Wood block. havinga- Wedge-shape,- in cross-section as. shown infFig, 4, and is positionedv in the; front end.. ot the tray. The-iront portion,v or bottom stop 3.2. has a vertical cross-section somewhat greater than the thickness of side members i2A in order that the: forward upper face. thereof will terminate in approximate registry with therear lower, edge of rear. supporting face 30. on iront member 24. From this forward edge the upper face oi bottom step 32. inclines rearwardly and down.-

to a sharp rear edge 33 for engaging end card holder 34 for. holding it in. position in a mannerwell-known in the art. The-.lower rear faceefystopvv member 3-2- is, providedwith any in.- cl-inedportion 3.5 yto brin-g; thesharp edge; 3.3. spaced relation above; the upper surtace of tray bottom Hlr as shownin Fig. 4.. provides. for the-lugs ont the endpcard holders engaging under the; rear sharp edge 33. of bottom stop 32 so that the bottom stop will effectively hold the card holders in properl position inthe tray at the front end.

Bottom stop 32v is provided -witha transversely extending chan-nelt of. a T-shape. in cross-seotion as shown in Fig. 4f for slidably receiving a pair of.l slide members 31 ofV T-sh-ape; in cross.- section in channel 36' in end-to-end relation. The outer ends of each of the slide members 31: are provided with projections 38, see Fig.. 8, for engaging in channelsY i5 lat the sides ofthe tray in the outwardly projected position thereof for. latching bottom stop 32V in attached. relation in the tray against accidental displacement. Bottom. stop 312 isprovided witha pair of aperturesY 39 intersecting. 'if-shaped channel 36' as shown.in-1iigs..4 and 7. These apertures.3.&.pro vide finger openings by which slide. members 31' can be operated through engagingthe. iingers innotchesltll cut inthev forward edges thereof which normallyrr register with openings 39`l in a. manner that shoulders are provided for manual engage- .rnent so; slidemembers 31! can be moved to.- have their ends. retracted into abutting relation as illustrated in'Fig. '7'v for removing the bottom stop from the tray.

The bottom portion of bottom stop 3.2 is. recessedy as indicated at 4l fior receiving and. housing a metal-lic- L-shaped resilient. wire 42.Y having the/ ends engaged in recesses in the end portions of' slide members `Silas shown in Fig.. 'l'. The. si'd'e portionsof bottom. stop 32'indicated' at 43 proide stop shoulders against which the end portions of spring; i2y engageinresilientlyl projecting slide membersy31 outwardly forr thereby limitingthe outward sliding movement of members 31.. Spring 42- havin-g' the ends engaged in slide members 31 also prevents disengagement of slide members 3.1 from the channel in bottom stop 3i.k when it ismoved from the tray. Spring 42 therefore serves. the purpose of projecting the slide members into. latching position. limits their movement. and prevents removal from the bottom stop by engaging the shoulders at opposite sides of' the recess.

Bottom stop 32 may be readily inserted and removedfrom the front end of a tray in engagement with an endcard holder in a manner shown in Fig. 4 so that the cardholders are held against longitudinal sliding movement in the tray.

By: grasping bottom stop. 32 between two ngers engaged; in openings 39, the bottom stop. can be readily removed from thetray when slide members 131V are moved into. the position shown in Fig. '7 to disengage latch projections 38 ony the. ends 6 thereotfrom channels. The bottom .stop is. also readilyreplacedL in the tray'by holding it in the same manner as above described, during re.- placem ,nt,the sharpy rearedge 34 being` iirst. inserted into engagement withY the end Gard holder while. the'forward end of the. bottom stop is subsequentlymovedinto position in; the tray. Upon releasing slide.l members 31 spring 42- forces latch projections; 3.8- under slide members I2 into. channels t5. so that the bottom stop is latched. in position inv the. manner show-n in Fig. 4. In this position bottom stop.L 32 forms a. support for the forward card holders. in theY tray in conjunction with face; 30.- of. member; 24, so that index. Cards carried'thereby can have; entries made thereon While supported on the upper face of the bottom stop.

The entire cabinet. is made, substantially of wood or Wood veneer suitably cemented or glued together almost entirely7 eliminating the use-,of metalV in theconstruction of the cabinet. Hooks 23 label holder 21, spring- 42 and a. few screws used in, assembling thev cabinet constitute the only-metal content in the cabinet. Yet, the cab.- inet;l is rugged and eiciently supports thev trays ine-position for free sliding movement into and out, of the rcabinet for the normal use of the visible index records inthe tray.

In operation, a tray isA manually gripped by inserting the fingers in recess 28 of front member 2 .4. Thetraymay then be pulled outwardly from theiully housed I oosition4 in the cabinet as shown in Figs. 1. and 4., until a tray and its cohnedted tail-piece is` pulled into a position where hooks 2.3 contact projections llll onguide strips 8. In the forward motion of a tray the free upper ends of the hooks engage projections I0- in the manner illustrated in connection with the tail-piece shown on the bottom tray inthecabinet as illustrated inF-ig.. V4. lurther forward. movement causes the hook members 23: to fully eng-age projections Il] in the manner illustrated by the upper ltray show-n in Fig. 4. In this positionthe tray is supported in front of thelcabinet, for free swinging movement on the hinge connectionwith tail-piece 20 thereof. and can be-moved into a vertical position asshown in; Fig- 4. This. presents ther visibly indexedfrecords in the tray at the front of. the cabinetfor inspection o-r the entry of' records in a'manner well-known in the art.

Should it then become desirable to entirely detach the tray from the cabinet, this may-.be done by lifting the tray upwardly and moving the tail-piece with the tray rearwardly into the compartmenlt to a suilicient extent that the free ends of hooks. 23 will be disengaged and extend rearwardly of projections t.. Then by tilting tailpie-ce Zit upwardly at the front end Where it is liingedly connectedv to the rear end of the tray, the tail-piece may have its rear inclined face 2-2 engagedv with the upper surface of partition 1 forming the bottom of its compartment in the manner indicated at 5,0; in Fig. 4, when the free end of hooks 23 will clear projections l0 by being moved below and out o-f line therewitl'if.r In this position forward movement of tail-piece 20: will enableflthe tr-ay and theA tail-piece to be. entirely detached from the cabinet.

To insert a detached tray into the. cabinet.. the tail-piece is moved into the position shown at i in 4 when it is moved rearwardly as. indicated by the arrow until hooks 2'3 clear stop. projecti'cns iii and-extend rearwardly thereof into the .guide channels at the sides off. the cabinet whereupon .the` tail-piece yand the: tray are'. guided by guide stripsB in sliding movement back and forth in the lcabinet between the forwardV and rear positions therein.

By having side members i2 engage between guide strips 8 in the guideways formed thereby at the sides of the cabinet with guide strips 8 providing additional support for partitions 'l at ythe side edges of the cabinet where side members I2 engage therewith, it is possible to provide a strong Wooden visible cabinet structure in which the weight and forces applied to #the tray are transmitted by side members l?. directly to guide strips 8 and side walls 2 of the cabinet. This provides for the use of substantially thin veneer partitions 'l providing for economy in the use of space and yet providing for the construction of a wood cabinet having substantial strength and eiiiciency in. -carrying a plurality of visible indeX card holders and cards for yconvenient reference.

The construction of the front member and back stop also provides for efficiently retaining card holders in the tray and provides for *the use of a substantially thin sheet of veneerto form a tray bottomso that'a strong tray forA efficiently holding a series o-f card holders-is provided by the cooperation of the side members, the front and rear membersA joined at the ends of the side members to form a rigid frame structure efciently carrying the weight of the tray. The bottom stop also cooperates wilth the front member in retaining the :card holders in position against longitudinal sliding movement in the tray and in supporting the front ends thereof. Yet, the bottom stop is readily removable to provide for the shifting and interchanging of card holders in a manner well-known in the art in the operation of a visible index. v

The invention claimed is:

' 1. A card index cabinet, comprising a casing having spaced side walls formed with a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal grooves opening through their inner faces and arranged in opposite corresponding relation, a plurality of partitions extending between opposite side walls in spaced parallel relation each having its side margins seated in opposite corresponding grooves, a plurality of guide strips engaged with the inside `faces of said side walls and the lower side mar-` gins of said partitions, eachV guide strip having a laterally projecting rib seated in one of said grooves, means rigidly retaining said partitions and ribs in said grooves for securing said side walls together in cabinet forming relation, said partitions formingaplurality of separate tray compartments, said strips forming with saidV side Walls and margins of the partitions below guide channels at opposite sides of said cabinet, a. tray slidable in each compartment having side members slidably guided in opposite channels, and cooperative means on the rear end of each tray and at the front end of said cabinet for normally retaining the trays ,against complete detachment from the cabinet when slidably withdrawn from the compartments.

2. A card index cabinet, comprising a casing having spaced parallel side walls, each side wall having its inner face formed with a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal grooves terminating in spaced relation fromthe front edge, a plurality of partitions extending between opposite side walls in spaced parallel relation each having opposite side margins seated in oppositely disposedgrooves in said side walls with the front edges thereof engaged with the side walls at the front ends of said grooves, a plurality of guide strips engaged with the inner faces of said side walls, each guide strip being engaged with the lower face of a partition adjacent to the marginal portion thereof and having a laterally projecting rib thereon seated in the groove with the adjacent partition and the front end of the rib engaging the side wall at the front end of said groove, means rigidly retaining said partitions and ribs in said grooves in said side walls and cooperating to form tray compartments in said cabinet and retain said side walls together in cabinet-forming relation with the guide strips forming with said side walls and margins of the partitions'below guide channels at the opposite sides of each compartment along the inner face of` each side Wall, a tray slidable in each compartment having side members slidably guided in said channels, a tail-piece hingedly mounted on and extending rearwardly from the rear end of each tray, said tail piece having side portions slidably engaged in said channels and guided by said guide strips, said tail-piece being adapted to have its bottom face ride on the partition forming the bottom of the compartment for the tray and having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined face on theV rear end thereof, hooks mounted on the upper face of said tail-piece adjacent to the rear end thereof and extending upwardly adjacent to the inner faces of said guide strips at opposite sides of each compartment, and stop projections extending inwardly from the forward ends of the guidestrips adapted to normally be engaged by said hooks for retaining a tray against complete detachment from said cabinet when withdrawn therefrom, said tail-piece being adapted for tilting of the front end upwardly when near the front end of the compartment for engagement of the inclined face on the rear edge thereof with the partition formoving the hook portions out of alignment with said stop projections whereby the tray may be completely disengaged from said cabinet.

34A card index cabinet, comprising a casing having spaced parallel side walls, each side Wall being formed with a plurality of spaced parallel longitudinal grooves opening through its inner face and arranged in opposite corresponding relation, said grooves terminating in spaced relation from the front edge of each side wall, a plurality of partitions extending between said side walls in spaced parallel relation and having the side margins thereof engaged in corresponding grooves in opposite side walls for dividing said cabinet into a plurality of tray compartments, a plurality of guide strips mounted against the inside face of each side wall at each side of each compartment in said cabinet, each guide strip having its-upper edge engaging the lower face Y of one of said partitions, a rib projecting laterally from each guide strip and cooperating with the adjacent marginal portion of the partition to ll said groove in said side wall for rigidly holding said guide strips in position relative to said side wall, the front edges of said ribs and each partition engaging the side wall at the front end of said groove for retaining said partitions and guide strips against longitudinal movement in said grooves, a tray slidably mounted in each compartment having side members slidably engaged in the guide channels formed by said guide strips and partitions along the inner faces of each side wall, a tail-piece hingedly mounted on each tray at its rear edge and extendingrearwardly therefrom, cooperative means on the rear edge of each tail-piece and at the front end of each guide strip adapted to normally interengage for retaining each tray against complete detachment from said cabinet when withdrawn from the compartment therein, each tail-piece being formed for cooperation with downwardly and rearwardly inclined front ends on said guide strips and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined rear end to engage the partition below so that by tilting the front end of each tail-piece upwardly near the front end of its compartment, said cooperative means will be positioned for disengagement whereby a tray and its connected tail-piece may be disengaged from said cabinet.

CARL F. WOLTERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rand Sept. 19, 1922 Gronberg Mar. 8, 1932 Beiger May 8, 1928 Rand Nov. 10, 1925 Johnson May 31, 1921 McClanthan May 29, 1894 Richardson Nov. 28, 1933 Miller Mar. 12, 1940 Baggs Nov. 12, 1872 Foster Aug. 9, 1892 Consor June 24, 1930 Downie Oct. 7, 1902 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia 1928 Sweden Oct. 22, 1910 

